ReO and other things...

This past weekend was spent just twenty minutes away at the Fatima Renewal Center in Dalton, PA.  JVs from all over the East Coast came for what is called "reOrientation".  The five day retreat was focused on our JV value "social justice", a term that is hard to relate to here in Scranton...or so I thought.  It begs the question that I've been asking myself for the past week: where do we limit our social justice to?  How come we can show so much empathy to an emaciated child in Africa (rightfully so I must add), but we find it difficult to show similar empathy to someone steps away from that situation in the United States?  Shouldn't we be fighting these issues everywhere?  Does it have to be those who suffer from Urban issues?  What about those suffering in the suburbs?  Do we ignore those?

Sitting at the retreat there were so many people telling heartbreaking stories of their JVC experience so far and the work they are doing.  Then, there was me.  Running a youth group for some kids in a working class neighborhood.  None of my students are starving.  None of them are homeless.  Are there issues not as serious as someone suffering in New York City?
I'm guilty of not giving them the attention that the deserve, I must say.  I have ignored their issues and chalked them up to high school drama...but their issues are real.  Their problems exist and deserve my attention.  

Where did these lines of social justice come from?  

We assume our neighbors are fine.  We pass judgments on their economic standings and their family life.  Do we really know what personal crosses on person is carrying on their back?  No. We don't.  That's the simple answer.  We never know for sure.  

Empathy might begin in an urban setting, but it ends right in your own community.